Author Archives: campgroundoftheweek

20 Jul

Campground Review #90 Cranberry Lake Campground in the Adirondacks Region of New York State

On this episode of Campground of the Week, our correspondents Rachel and Justyn review Cranberry Lake Campground in the Adirondacks Region of New York State. Rachel and Justyn work a lot of hours in high-stress New York City media jobs, so escaping up to the Adirondacks was a welcome getaway for a long weekend.

Campground Details

Rachel and Justyn camped in a tent at Cranberry Lake Campground, but there were plenty of RVs on site as well. Justyn is a fan of backwoods camping, so he really appreciated the how much privacy each campsite offered guests. Other campground amenities include…

  • Miles of Hiking Trails
  • Lake beach and swimming
  • Basketball court
  • Showers
  • Volleyball
  • Boat Launch and Rentals

Regional Attractions

Cranberry Lake State Park is one of the largest remote areas in New York State. That means that most of your time here will be spent within the state park enjoying hiking and water activities. The park also offers plenty of interpretative programs. Rachel and Justyn enjoyed the regional food, raving about the fresh flavors and variety of options in one town after another. They recommend…

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12 Jul

Campground Review #87 Wanderlust RV Park in Eureka Springs, Arkansas

On this episode of Campground of the Week, Kerri Cox of TravelswithBirdy.com reviews Wanderlust RV Park in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.

Eureka Springs became a popular destination in the 1880s when people flocked from all around to experience the supposed healing power of the springs. Today visitors can enjoy many historic buildings from this time period, including Victorian houses and the Crescent Hotel.

Campground Details

Wanderlust RV Park is a wonderful base camp for exploring this area. This is a Good Sam park and enjoys the status of having  excellent ratings: 9.5/9.5/10. When reading reviews of this park, you will repeatedly hear people reference the friendliness of the staff and cleanliness of the park.

The campground has over 85 full hook up sites, half being pull thru and half being back in. Other amenities include:

  • Pool
  • Laundry facilities
  • Social Pavilions
  • WiFi

Wanderlust RV Park is located just three miles from downtown Eureka Springs, Arkansas. It is conveniently located along the “Blue Route” and guests can catch the Trolley for a ride right into town.

Regional Attractions

Regional Dining

Don’t forget to check out Kerri’s recommendations for nearby Bentonville, a must visit when exploring this area!

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See you at the campground!

Stephanie + Jeremy

05 Jul

Campground Review #89 Amarillo Ranch RV Park in Amarillo, Texas

On this week’s episode of Campground of the Week, Kate Dunbar reviews Amarillo Ranch RV Park in Amarillo, Texas. This campground is located along the historic Route 66, and Kate talked about her epic journey on the Mother Road over on Episode #140 of the RV Family Travel Atlas podcast. You can listen to that episode to hear more of her recommendations for the area.

Campground Details

Amarillo Ranch RV Park embraces all the traditional kitsch of Route 66 and offers a great atmosphere to talk in this region. The campground has 151 full hookup, pull thru and back in sites, and many are big-rig friendly. It also has plenty of other amenities including…

  • Indoor heated pool with jacuzzi
  • enclosed dog parks
  • playground
  • daily complimentary coffee and donuts
  • Pavilion and pool patio with grills
  • clubhouse
  • updated, clean restrooms and laundry facilities

Perhaps the most enjoyable amenity of all is the onsite restaurant, The Big Texan Steak Ranch. You have to listen to Kate describe the ridiculously amazing 72 ounce free steak challenge at this famous joint.

Area Attractions

On of the most famous Route 66 attractions of all time, the Cadillac Ranch,  is located right near the Amarillo Ranch RV Park. Other great regional attractions include…

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29 Jun

Campground Review #88 Moorings Oceanfront RV Resort in Belfast, Maine

On this episode of Campground of the Week, we review Moorings Oceanfront RV Resort in Belfast, Maine. This campground is one of our very favorite places along the little slice of heaven known as Midcoast Maine.

Campground Details

Moorings Oceanfront RV Resort is a waterfront gem, with ocean views from most of the sites. There are under 50 sites altogether, so you will have to book early to get the premium locations. Listen to the episode to hear our recommendations for best water views.

The best amenity offered by Moorings is the location, but you will also find…

  • Playground
  • Private Beach
  • Kayak Launch
  • Horseshoes
  • Complimentary Wifi
  • Fee coffee in the campstore
  • Laundry Facilities

Regional Attractions

Belfast, Maine is a beautiful, charming, and hip downtown full of great shopping and good eats. It’s also close to many of the other famous Midcoast destinations like Camden, Lincolnville, and Boothbay Harbor. You can read more about our favorite things to do in this region on the GoRVing blog  or on our RVFTA website.

Some of our area highlights include…

Moorings is also located just an hour away from Acadia National Park, so it’s a reasonable day trip to make while staying at this campground.

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See you at the campground!

Stephanie + Jeremy

21 Jun

Campground Review #86 Piney Campground in the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area in Dover, Tennessee

On this episode of the Campground of the Week podcast, Casita Dean reviews Piney Campground in the Land Between the Lakes Recreation Area in Dover, Tennessee.

Land Between the Lakes is a 170,000 acre area between Kentucky Lake on the West and Lake Barkley on the east, stretching north to south across western Kentucky and western Tennessee, and just 80 miles northwest of Nashville.

Campground Details

Piney Campground is a large public campground maintained by the USDA Forest Service, containing 384 sites separated throughout 7 loops. 283 of the sites are electric only, 44 have full hook ups, and 57 are primitive. The cost is $22 per night for electric and $40 per night for full hook ups. Reservations for all the sites can be made online through the Forest Service.

Amenities

Piney Campground offers a great list of amenities at this affordable price point. The Piney Outpost is a well-stocked camp store, and the bathhouses are clean and contain laundry facilities and vending machines. Other campground amenities include:

  • Campfire Theater
  • Softball field
  • Basketball and Volleyball courts
  • Fishing Pier
  • Boat Ramp
  • Swimming area with beach
  • Playground
  • Bicycle and equipment rentals
  • archery range
  • biking and hiking trails

Activities

Land Between the Lakes has a wide range of scheduled activities throughout the national forest, some for an nominal fee. Examples of offered programs include…

  • Golden Pond Planetarium programs
  • Feeding Time on the Farm
  • For Goodness Snakes
  • Afternoon Animal Encounters
  • Be a Hero for Wildlife

Be forewarned: cell service is mediocre and wifi is non existent.

Regional Attractions

The Land Between the Lakes is a regional attraction in and of itself, offering plenty of activities to keep visitors busy during their entire stay. Other regional highlights include…

Regional Dining 

Piney Campground is in the heart of BBQ country, so you will want to explore that cuisine during your visit…

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We’ll see you at the campground,

Stephanie + Jeremy

 

14 Jun

Campground Review #85 Moreau Lake State Park at the Gateway of the Adirondacks Region in New York State

On this podcast episode of Campground of the Week, Tatiana Coffinger reviews Moreau Lake State Park, located at the Gateway of the Adirondacks Region in New York State.

Moreau Lake State Park is situated just 15 minutes north of Saratoga Springs and 15 south of Lake George, so this is an amazing location to explore one of the country’s premier RV destinations.

Campground Details

Moreau Lake State Park is a New York State Campground with 145 tent and trailer sites and nine rental cabins, all of which can be booked over at Reserve America. All the tent and trailer sites are back in with no hook ups. There is, however, a centrally located dump station and water spigots are liberally placed around the loops. The shower houses and bathrooms are recently updated, and include outdoor kitchen sinks–a major bonus when dry camping.

Because of the short camping season in New York State and the popularity of this area in the summer, weekends and holidays book quickly six months out. Approximately 100,000 campers stay at the campground each year with an additional 300,000 day visitors!

Amenities

The star of the show at Moreau Lake State Park is the non-motorized boat lake complete with a sandy beach. You can bring your own kayaks and canoes, or rent them at a rate of $20 for 2 hours or $30 for 4 hours. The beach area also has a playground, sand volleyball court, basketball court, picnic pavilion, and snack bar. Beach loungers and umbrellas are also available for daily rentals.

Activities

Moreau Lake State Park has enough activities to keep your family busy for your entire stay. These include:

  • Nature Center with educational programs
  • Ranger led hikes
  • Beekeeping Apiary
  • Movies on the beach
  • Winter activities: snowshoeing, cross country skiing, ice fishing

Additional Info

No Wifi service is available at Moreau Lake State Park, but the cell service is pretty decent considering the mountainous region. Listen to the episode to hear recommendations for choosing specific loops and avoiding road noise from a nearby highway.

Regional Highlights

There is so much to do in this region, you will find yourself wanted to return again and again. Some of the highlights include…

Regional Food and Dining

A big thank you to Tatiana for sharing her love of this top-notch camping destination in her home state of New York!

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See you at the campground!

Stephanie  + Jeremy

07 Jun

Campground Review #84 Unicoi Springs Camp Resort in Helen, Georgia

Unicoi Springs Camp Resort, located in the northeast mountains of Georgia, is a unique member-owned campground property. Our southern correspondent, Keith Sims, visited for a ‘boys getaway’ with his sons recently and was very impressed.

Campsite Details

So how does this member-owned campground work? Folks pay a one-time $5,000 fee which gives them the right to camp up to 14 days every month of the year. They pay an additional maintenance fee (currently $410) every year. The membership fee does not buy a particular lot on the campground, but rather access to any of the 300 campsites available.

All of the campsites offer full hook ups, a patio or deck, picnic table, cable, and high speed wifi. There are also on-site cabin and RV rentals available for members or their visiting family and friends.

Campground Amenities

Unicoi Springs is a resort style campground and offers amenities that measure up in that category:

  • Two pools
  • basketball court
  • volleyball court
  • tennis court
  • miniture golf
  • pickle ball court
  • clubhouse
  • activity center
  • gated security

Regional Attractions

Unicoi Springs is also located in a beautiful region, which offers many themed festivals throughout the year, including Oktoberfest in the fall. Helen, Georgia is a Bavarian-themed town complete with cobblestone streets and gingerbread trim on the storefronts. Other area attractions include…

  • Alpine Amusement Park
  • Unicoi State Park
  • Scenic Highway 197
  • White water rafting
  • Georgia Museum of Art in Athens
  • Anna Ruby Falls

If you find yourself struggling to get out to the campground as much as you would like, a camping membership option like this can be a fantastic solution. With concierge amenities like RV storage and setup, it’s worth checking out if you are near the northeastern mountains of Georgia.

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See you at the campground,

Stephanie + Jeremy

RV Family Travel Atlas

31 May

Campground Review #83 Jellystone Park Hagerstown in Williamsport, Maryland

We have had a lot of great stays at Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park Camp Resorts, but Hagerstown has shot to the top of the list after our stay there last weekend.

Located in northern Maryland, just a mile from I-81, this area is often referred to as the “Crossroads of the Civil War.” The Hagerstown Jellystone is less than an hour and a half from both Washington DC and Baltimore, making this a fantastic weekend escape option for residents of those urban areas.

The Campsites

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17 May

Campground Review #81: Enchanted Trails RV Park & Trading Post in Albuquerque, New Mexico off Historic Route 66

Enchanted Trails RV Park & Trading Post is a privately-owned campground located just minutes off of Historic Route 66 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Our correspondent Kate Dunbar from KatesCuriousKitchen.com stayed here on her epic solo adventure traveling the Mother Road. To hear Kate’s complete review of Enchanted Trails, listen to Campground of the Week episode #81, and to hear more about her entire Route 66 journey, check out RVFTA episode #140: Kate Gets Her Kicks on Route 66.

The Campground

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